1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and system for delivering contents such as music or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various music players have become available on the market in accordance with the use patterns and purposes of use of the users. As an example of such music player, an MP3 player as a dedicated music player is known. A music player can also be implemented by installing music playback software in a personal computer or portable information terminal (PDA). Such music player includes a memory for recording and saving music data to be played back, and various methods for saving data in a memory are available.
In order to allow the user to listen to music by such music player, music data as a source of the music must be retrieved from a music delivery apparatus (music vending terminal or the like) equipped in advance in a public place. In this case, the owner of a music player establishes wired connection between the music vending terminal equipped in the public place and his or her music player, and follows a procedure required to purchase music data.
Note that Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-134147 discloses a data communication system in which when a purchaser-side device directly or indirectly carried by a purchaser approaches a vendor (vendor-side device), a data communication is automatically started between these two devices to implement advertisement of articles from the vendor-side device. This data communication system uses a radio beacon to detect a partner device, and actually exchanges main data via a public line.
Upon building the music delivery apparatus, since many types of recording devices must be equipped to cope with various kinds of recording media, the apparatus cost increases considerably. Also, since wired connection must be established between the music player possessed by the user and the music delivery apparatus, the procedure required for the user is complicated. Furthermore, the durability of a connection device must be taken into consideration, since physical connection must be established.
Hence, it is demanded to present a technique that can efficiently deliver contents such as music or the like to an information processing apparatus operated by a user without forcing the user to follow a complicated procedure.